Awakening
by FlutterFan92
Summary: When her best friend is taken from her, Rachel must embark on a invigorating and terrifying journey to rescue him from the clutches of one of the most secretive and dangerous groups of people in the world. With only the family pet, Luna, by her side, does Rachel have any chance of saving him? Note: I would greatly appreciate any reviews and/or suggestions on this story.
1. Chapter 1-Finding A Way

**Author's Note- The following is based purely on my take of the Pokemon games, as I haven't seen the anime or read the manga. I've taken the liberty of changing a few details in order to make it seem more true-to-life. This is my first attempt at tackling a large project, and I'm hoping to hone my writing skills with it. That being said, I'd be very grateful if you'd post a review so that I can know what to change and what to keep up with. I'm very passionate about this story and I'd like to develop it into many, many chapters. I'm open to suggestions, so if there's a particular direction you'd like to see it go in don't be shy. I sincerely hope you enjoy my chronicling of Rachel and Luna's adventures.**

**Chapter 1- Finding a Way**

The girl sitting at the kitchen table was beyond crying. Tears simply leaked from her eyes as she stared beyond her mother, who was sitting at the table across from her and watching her daughter sadly. The kitchen was aglow with soft muted light as the setting sun illuminated the curtains, and it was silent aside from the humming of the refrigerator, the ticking of the colorful kitchen clock shaped like a HootHoot, and the young woman's sniffling. Her mother reached out a hand hesitantly, taking it as a good sign when her daughter didn't throw it off her shoulder.

"Rachel, dear," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I really don't know what else to say. But there's nothing we can do, except pray that he's well taken care of."

A spark of anger flared in Rachel's eyes. Despite the harshness of her daughter's next words, Mary felt almost relieved. From the moment she had come home from work to find the backyard empty, Rachel's eyes had been empty and distant. Mary had feared that she had gone into shock-which, Mary thought, she probably had. For a while, at least.

"Well taken care of?" Rachel said, her normally soft voice hoarse and rough from unuse. She pushed her long hair away from her red and swollen face and glared at her mother. "Anyone who takes a creature against his will isn't going to take care of him! Why would they take him? Why not catch their own? The woods are full of Aron. He's only special to me. What could they possibly want from him?" Her initial outburst ended, and Rachel finally began to cry in earnest. Her relief overshadowed by grief for her daughter and her overwhelming feeling of helplessness, Mary leaned forward and embraced her daughter.

"That's right, get it out," Mary said softly. "Holding it in won't help him."

Rachel glared at the floor and said nothing. Her anger and misery were burning in her stomach like lava, but they were nothing compared to her guilt. If she had left Axel at the daycare, or safely in her room, he never would have been stolen. It was her fault, all her fault. Her best friend, her pride and joy, her fiercely devoted and rambunctious companion; gone.

Lost as she was in her thoughts, she barely registered the soft bumping at her knee until she wiped her eyes and glanced down. She was surprised to see Luna, the family pet, gazing up at her with soft, empathetic eyes. Rachel slowly stroked the Furfrou's soft springy coat, which was currently clean, fluffy, and decorated with pink hearts. Luna had been part of the family for nearly ten years, but she was haughty and aloof. Luna preferred Mary's company but largely ignored Rachel, the same relationship (in reverse) that Rachel had shared with Axel. The comfort that Luna was currently offering, therefore, touched and calmed Rachel in a way her mother's words never could. Her presence pierced Rachel's haze of pain, and she began to regain a bit of her composure.

Her thoughts no longer quite as cloudy, Rachel began to think. She looked up at her mother.

"So no one is going to help us? Police, investigators, anyone? What did they say when you called?"

Mary, who tried to hide her relief that her daughter seemed to be coming back to herself, straightened her glasses and said, "No. I called the police station here in Kiloude, and the bigger one in Lumiose, as well as the bureau in Lumiose. No one has the time or the resources to investigate. The detective there said he might be able to come down to help us, but he isn't sure when that'd be."

Rachel leaned forward, her eyes on fire. "There has to be something we can do. Someone to talk to. At the very least we can get some leads. Who would steal a Pokemon?"

"Sadly, many people," her mother said softly. She fell silent, and Rachel knew her mother was thinking the same thing. Team Flare was, of course, the most famous Pokemon thieves; but for the most part they had been bumbling and stupid, not to mention very easy to trace. In any case, Team Flare had been disbanded a year ago. No, Rachel didn't think they were involved.

But there was a nasty undercurrent in the Kalos region, one many people knew about (in passing, at least) but no one wanted to speak of: the illegal underground trade of rare Pokemon caught, raised- or stolen. What happened to the creatures, what purpose they were being put to, Rachel didn't know and had always been afraid to find out. But she had to. Even if these people had nothing to do with Axel, she had to find out for certain. It gave her a certain purpose, a place to start. She met her mother's eyes, and she knew Mary had come to the same conclusion.

"Mom-"

"I know." Her mother's eyes, which had stayed nearly dry throughout the entire ordeal, began to fill with tears. She stood up and opened a cabinet, her back to Rachel. Rachel knew she was doing this to avoid being seen crying. "You're eighteen. You're of age, and I can't stop you. I wouldn't if I could. I also know you won't let me come with you."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Rachel mumbled. "But I need you to take care of things here."

"Yes, I know." Mary turned to face her daughter, and Rachel smiled to herself when she saw the same determination she felt had replaced the helplessness on her mother's face. "What's your plan? Where will you go first?"

"I'm not sure," Rachel admitted. She reached down to pet Luna again, but found that the Furfrou had already moved on to the other side of the kitchen to drink from her water bowl. Rachel almost felt the distance growing between them again; the bonding moment was over. She averted her eyes from Luna, not wanting to admit that she wished Luna was still at her side, and saw that Mary was watching the Pokemon thoughtfully. She glanced at Luna and back to her daughter.

"If I may offer a suggestion," she said slowly, "I think the best place to start would be to take the train here in town to Lumiose. There, you could find Professor Sycamore at his lab. He knows everything there is to know about Pokemon, and it's a very big city. He might have heard rumors; he might have a lead. It's a place to start."

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Yes…yes it is. I think I'll do that."

"But first," her mother said, "you need a Pokemon to take with you. It's dangerous without one. Who knows where you will go and who you will meet? I'm afraid for you; I don't want you to go, but I know you have to. If I'm to stay here, I would feel much better if you had a partner."

Rachel stared at her mother. Children sometimes left home early with a Pokemon in order to travel, battle, and become Trainers. Those who didn't remained home, went to school, worked, and eventually moved away to lead normal lives. Rachel had chosen to not become a Trainer; pitting creatures against each other held little appeal for her. It seemed barbaric. She had never battled with Axel; she had adopted him from a breeder three years ago and she had never seen him as anything other than a playmate and friend. But her mother's words rang uncomfortably true. Having a Pokemon with her would make the journey both safer and more comfortable.

Rachel took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I suppose I can always ask Professor Sycamore for one. He does that, right?"

Mary shook her head. "He only gives Pokemon to children, Rachel. You're too old."

Rachel gritted her teeth. "I guess I'll have to catch one, then."

"Maybe not," Mary said. She gestured towards the kitchen floor, where Luna was currently eating daintily out of her bowl. "Why don't you take Luna with you? She's smart, she's strong, and she can help you more than you might think."

"_Luna?" _Rachel said skeptically, laughing in spite of herself. Her laughter quickly died away when she realized what her mother was implying. "Mom, I can't take Luna."

"Why not? She's a Pokemon," Mary said with the same strained patience one might use in explaining something simple to a fussy toddler.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I know you aren't as close to her as you were with Axel, but if you give you're patient with her, she might surprise you."

Luna glanced up from her bowl and narrowed her eyes slightly at Rachel, who suddenly had the unnerving thought that Luna understood everything that Mary had said and wasn't very happy about it. Rachel's mother slowly stroked Luna's head as she tried to reason with her daughter.

"Look, you know how the world works. Nobody goes very far without a Pokemon to protect them."

Rachel knew this was true. Outside of the cities, wild Pokemon could attack anyone. The only way to counter the powers of a Pokemon was with another one. However, she simply didn't see how one little Furfrou could be of much help. She knew that Pokemon were powerful creatures with amazing magical abilities, but the only ability Luna had ever shown was the tendency to eat more than the rest of the household combined.

"I don't know, Mom. What makes you think Luna would even want to come?"

Almost on cue, Luna promptly stuck her pointy nose in the air and stalked out of the kitchen. Rachel pointed at her retreating shadow. "See?"

Mary smiled sadly and shook her head. "She'll be fine. So, what do you say?"

"I don't know," Rachel said. "I guess I don't have much choice. I have to find him, Mom. He was counting on me to protect him, and I let him down." Rachel swiped her sleeve across her face, hating the tears.

Mary crossed the space over to her daughter and offered her arms. Rachel paused, then returned the hug. "Get some rest, think it over. You'll feel better in the morning."

Rachel bit back her retort, and hoped that her mother was right.


	2. Chapter 2-Goodbyes and Gifts

**Chapter 2- Goodbyes and Gifts**

Mary was both right and wrong. When Rachel stumbled out of bed at the crack of dawn, she didn't feel better at all. Unable to sleep for long, she had been plagued with guilt and worry for Axel. However, in the middle of the night Rachel had been seized with an incredible desire to act, despite her own uncertainty and fears of the outside world. Even if she had to force Luna to come with her, she would do whatever it took to get Axel back. He was so small, and he needed her. She felt as if a piece of her heart was missing and wouldn't be repaired until the creature was safely at home again.

She headed down the stairs, yawning loudly. Upon entering the living room, Rachel was startled to see her mother-usually a late sleeper- already awake and sitting on the couch.

"Good, you're awake," Mary said cheerfully, although Rachel could see the strain in her mother's smile and saw that she looked awful, like she hadn't slept much either. Her brown hair was messy and her eyes had purple bruises underneath them. "Come into the kitchen, I have breakfast ready."

Rachel was taken aback; her mother rarely cooked breakfast. Usually they ate a bowl of cereal and maybe some toast in the mornings. Today, Mary had cooked eggs, bacon, and waffles. Rachel loaded her plate and sat down. She noticed her mother had only a mug of coffee in front of her. Mary smiled wearily at her daughter again.

"Mom, I can stay-" Rachel blurted suddenly. A fresh sense of guilt wrenched her stomach- she hadn't given a single thought to her mother, sitting alone in an empty house for who knew how long?

"That's nice of you to offer, honey, but you and I both know that isn't going to happen. I won't let it, as much as I would like to. You need to go, I know you. We're kidding ourselves, giving you the night to think it over. I think you knew you were leaving as soon as Axel was taken."

Rachel slowly nodded. "I..I suppose so."

Mary took Rachel's hands in her own. "Don't worry about me. This had to happen sooner or later. You're not a little girl anymore. You and Luna are all I have left; it is for that very reason that you must go."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Rachel asked anxiously.

"I'll be lonely and worried. But I'll manage." Mary stood up. "Are you done eating?"

Rachel hadn't eaten much, but her stomach seemed to have shrunken to a third of its normal size. She pushed her half-eaten breakfast aside. "Yes."

"All right then. Follow me, I have some things to show you."

Rachel followed her mother into the spacious living room. The paneled pine walls were nearly completely covered in photographs, mostly of Rachel, her mother, and her late father. Rachel swallowed the sadness that suddenly welled up as she thought of him for the first time in years. _I wonder, would he approve of me leaving?_

Mary picked up a stack of items that had been lying on the fireplace mantel. Rachel had never seen them before, and realized that her mother had collected them the night before after she had gone to bed. She wondered if her mother had slept at all, and decided she probably hadn't.

"Now, I'm probably right in guessing that you're going to leave today?"

Rachel nodded. "I suppose if you want I can wait a day or two…but I really want to go as soon as possible. Who knows how far away Axel can be by now?"  
>"I understand, honey. Here," she said gently, and handed her a strange device that Rachel instantly recognized as a Holocaster. Rachel's jaw dropped as she examined it. Holocasters were extremely valuable-and expensive.<p>

"I was going to give that to you for Christmas this year," Mary said almost apologetically. "But you need it now. It's pretty simple to operate, and I have one too, as you know. If you ever need me, don't hesitate to contact me. As a matter of fact, use it anyway to let me know how you're doing. Just be careful with it. I could only afford the one and they cost a lot to fix."

Rachel hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you. So much. This is fantastic!"

Mary smiled, glad that her daughter was pleased with the gift. She broke the hug. "I'm not finished," she continued. She passed a large bag to Rachel, who glanced quickly inside it and saw it was mostly empty.

"If you're traveling on foot, there isn't much you can bring with you. But that should be enough space to pack the essentials. Check in the pocket; I took the liberty of drawing out your savings last night. Use it wisely. Speaking of which, you might want to call Rob and tell him you're not coming to work anymore. They'll be all right without you; store clerks are in no great shortage."

Rachel had completely forgotten about her part-time job. "Yeah, I'll do that," she said. She glanced back in her bag and stared at a number of round red objects rolling around at the bottom. She had seen these objects a handful of times, but mostly knew them from pictures in books. Axel had never had one. "Mom," she said sharply, "Why are there Pokeballs in here?"

"Just in case," Mary replied innocently.

"I'm not catching any Pokemon! I'm not battling Luna either, unless I absolutely have to."

"Sweetie, you never know. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them."

Rachel sighed, but decided not to argue with her mother. She looked away from the bag and saw her mother had one last object in her hand. It looked just like the ones in the bag, except it was pink, with a heart on the front. Mary handed it to Rachel.

"That's Luna's Pokeball. She hasn't been inside it since she came to live with us."

"I didn't even know she had one," Rachel said with wonder.

"Well, you see…Luna used to belong to a Trainer. She even battled Gym Leaders with this Trainer. From what I can understand she was pretty good, too."

Rachel shook her head, beyond surprise. She had never imagined Luna battling before. Even knowing that the Furfrou would be traveling with her, she had never actually stopped to think about her in combat. And she had never thought about Luna's previous life before either.

"Who was the Trainer? And why did she come to live with us?"

Mary gazed out the window, a trace of anger in her normally soft eyes. "He was an acquaintance of your father's. He trained Luna from the moment she was born, battled by her side, and tossed her away. He was going to dump her in the forest to fend for herself before your father brought her home. He just…grew tired of her."

"Wow," Rachel said. She thought about Luna, abandoned by the only person she had known and probably trusted her entire life. She wondered if her abandonment might explain her aloof manner.

Mary seemed to come back to her senses. "Well, anyway, it's pretty simple to use. Just click the button on the front and Luna will return to the Pokeball. Keep her out of it as much as you can, but some places require you to keep Pokemon in their balls. It's best that you carry it with you."

Rachel carefully placed the ball in her bag. "Mom…thank you."

"You can thank me by taking care of yourself out there."

Rachel hugged her mother, more aware of her fragility than she'd ever been. "I'll come home, I promise."

"I know you will," Mary said in an almost inaudible whisper. "I hope you find Axel and that he's safe; and more importantly, that you'll find what you need."

Rachel stood at the foot doorway, giving her room a last sweeping glance. Although it had changed appearances many times as she aged, she had never slept much anywhere else. It gave her cause to wonder where she would be laying her head in times to come, and what sort of things she might experience. She waved to the empty room halfheartedly and started down the stairs.

Walking into the kitchen, she saw her mother had already prepared a package of food for her along with a bag of Luna's favorite Furfrou chow and several containers of water. Rachel placed them in her pack along with the rest of the items she had decided to bring; clothes, toiletries, an extra pair of shoes, a framed picture of her family, and Axel's favorite toy- a cloth rope. When she got him back (she tried not to think the word 'if') she would let him play with it until he tore it to shreds. She always stopped him before he got too rough with it, but she felt she would no longer care.

Mary was nowhere to be found, but Luna was lying in her accustomed spot by the back door leading out of the kitchen, sunbathing. Unsure of what to do next, Rachel cleared her throat. Luna whipped her head up and narrowed her eyes at Rachel- not aggressively, but disdainfully. Irritated, Rachel put her hand on her hip.

"Okay, Luna. You're not happy about it, and I'm not so much either. But you're coming with me. We've got a job to do, you and I. I promise to be good if you do."

Luna simply stared at her, then wagged her tail one time before turning her head to face the door again. Rachel wasn't sure if Luna had understood her or not. Heaving a sigh, she began walking to every room in the house, looking for her mother. She found her coming out of her bedroom, and Rachel tried to pretend she didn't notice that her eyes were red and wet. Mary smiled weakly. "I suppose this is it, isn't it?"

"Yes. The train leaves in an hour and I need to get to the station in time to get a ticket."

Mary nodded. "Of course." She followed her daughter into the kitchen, unwilling to say goodbye but knowing she would regret it deeply if she didn't. To distract herself, she began talking to Luna.

"Who's a good girl?" Mary crooned. Luna's eyes lit up and she thumped her tail. Rachel felt a faint pang of jealousy at the genuine affection that Luna so easily gave to her mother, but suppressed it. "Are you going to be good for Rachel? Keep an eye on her for me, will you? Yes, I know you will. Who's a pretty girl?" Luna barked in response, and Rachel had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

Mary stroked the Pokemon's fur, gave her a hug, and turned to her daughter. They embraced one final time. Mary wanted to tell Rachel to be safe, to trust Luna and her own instincts, and to never forget where home was. But when she opened her mouth, all she said was "I love you."

"I love you too." Rachel adjusted her pack on her shoulder and glanced uncertainly at Luna. Mary gave a little chuckle.

"I have the feeling that soon you two will be closer than her and I. A journey together could change you in more ways than you'd think."

Rachel had her doubts, but hid them from Mary. She cleared her throat and said, "Come."

Luna threw her a scornful look and stayed put. Rachel clenched her jaw. Firmly, she repeated. "Luna, come!"

She hadn't expected the Furfrou to obey the second time, but was pleased to see her almost blow a sigh and pick herself off the ground. Luna trotted over to Rachel's side and gave her a look as if to say, Happy?

Somewhat reassured, Rachel opened the front door and, after a single long glance back at her mother, walked down the path and away from the only home she had ever known, Luna trailing dutifully behind.


	3. Chapter 3-First Battle

**Chapter 3- First Battle **

Rachel leaned her head back and closed her eyes, the beginnings of a headache beginning to form around her temples. The train began gathering speed and through her closed eyelids she could see the light through the compartment window being blocked by passing trees. Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt so many emotions at the present that she felt slightly overwhelmed; deep homesickness, guilt at leaving her mother behind, the ever-present fear for the fate of her Aron, and exasperation at Luna, who was currently stretched out on the seat across from her, panting.

There had been a moment at the ticket window when Rachel had nearly dragged Luna back to the house. Seeing the rushing trains and knowing that she was about to leave home, Luna had begun barking, whining, and attempting to run away from the station, frantic to return to Mary's side. It was only after much coaxing from the attendants (and after Rachel threatened to return Luna to her Pokeball) that Luna had calmed somewhat. Even with her eyes closed Rachel knew that Luna was probably giving her the same reproachful look she had been giving her since.

Rachel almost wished she had refused to take Luna along with her. She had the nasty feeling that the Furfrou would be more hindrance than assistance. If it weren't for her mother's peace of mind, she would have.

The hours drug by with Rachel and Luna mostly ignoring each other. Rachel had been able to secure a map of Lumiose from the train station and was currently poring over it. She had located the Pokemon Lab and saw it was pretty far from the train station. They would have to take a cab. Rachel began deciding what she would ask the professor when she met him. She hoped he could provide her with a lead. She saw how enormous the city looked on the map and decided that even if he couldn't help her she was would find someone in the city who could. Surely in such a big place there would be someone who could help her.

In almost no time at all, the train came to a slow, screeching halt. The conductor's voice echoed on the PA, informing passengers that they could now disembark and to have a pleasant day. Rachel swung her pack onto her back and slid the door open. Luna followed reluctantly.

As they made their way through the bright, gleaming station, Rachel was astounded at the sheer number of people bustling in and out. Kiloude was small and somewhat secluded. Rachel had never seen these many different faces in her life. And humans weren't the only case; many were accompanied by their Pokemon, some of which Rachel had never seen before, even in books. She stared at a family of four who had a strange black Pokemon at their side. It resembled Luna in its build, but with horns and a long pointed tail. It bounded along after the family, barking joyfully. Luna quit panting and began walking with stiff, proper strides as if to show it how a real Pokemon should act.

Rachel left the shining station and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Here, even more people were walking, shouting greetings at each other, and laughing. Several people were riding bicycles. Pokemon freely wandered the streets, some with people and some alone. Rachel saw tiny red Fletchlings hop and twitter by the small trees growing in the median, a pair of leafy green Skiddos napping by a nearby café, and many Furfrou with coats in various cuts and shades of color roaming the sidewalks. Rachel glanced at Luna and saw that her aloof demeanor was being put to the test; Luna was wagging her tail slowly and sniffing hopefully. Rachel smiled in spite of herself; the city was captivating.

She spotted a shining blue cab idling by the curb. Rushing up to it, she saw the driver was immersed in a newspaper. He was smoking a cigarette and taking bites of a sandwich in between puffs.

"Excuse me?" Rachel said. The cab driver closed the newspaper and glared at her.

"I'm on my break, missy. Can't you see that?"

"Oh. Sorry," Rachel apologized. The driver grunted and resumed reading his paper. "I'll wait until you're done, but first could you tell me how much it would cost to take me to the Pokemon Lab?" Rachel was a very money-conscious person and knew that she had to be very careful with the amount that she had. She had no idea how long her journey would take and had to be sure that her money would last.

"Four," the driver grumbled without looking up.

"Only four dollars?" Rachel asked, relieved that cab fare in the city was so cheap.

The driver shook his head and looked up, irritated. "What does this look like, a charity? Four thousand, darling."

"Thousand?!" Rachel cried. Her relief gave way to dismay. That was nearly a third of what she had.

"Yes," the driver said. He almost seemed to savor Rachel's disappointment. "No more, no less. If you can't afford it then maybe you shouldn't be in Lumiose. In case you haven't noticed, the city is expensive. Now move on." Rachel clenched her fists, angry at the driver's attitude, and heard a soft growling from beside her. She was surprised to see Luna's lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl. Luna had never shown any signs of aggressiveness towards a person before. The cab driver looked faintly alarmed and quickly rolled his window up. Rachel chuckled, warming up towards Luna immediately. "Good girl," she whispered. Luna suddenly stopped growling and looked at Rachel as if she wasn't sure how to react.

"Come on, Luna. I suppose we'll have to walk." Rachel readjusted the strap on her bag and made her way to the sidewalk with Luna following behind. Rachel was facing forward, not looking at Luna's face as she walked. If she had looked back just then, she might have seen the careful way Luna was studying the girl, and she might have noticed the subtle shift in the creature's attitude.

After walking for nearly twenty minutes, Rachel leaned against a light post to catch her breath and get her bearings. She reached into her bag for the map of the city. But after pawing through it for what seemed like an eternity, she swore. The map was nowhere to be found; she must have left it on the train seat. Her heart sinking, Rachel realized that so far nothing was working in her favor.

Observing the bustling sidewalk, Rachel began to think. She remembered from looking at the map that the city was built in a circular pattern. The Pokemon Lab was on South Boulevard, and the train station was on North Boulevard. The two streets led into each other, so Rachel was certain that if she kept walking she would eventually come onto South. Once there, she could always ask for directions to the Lab. Cheered somewhat, she began walking down the sidewalk after glancing back to make sure Luna was still following at her heels.

Despite the harshness of the sun and the sweat beginning to pop up on Rachel's forehead, she was thoroughly enjoying the sights of the city. Museums, shops, multiple cafes, and colorful food stands lined the streets. Rachel noticed two different buildings marked with a design similar to a Pokeball. She recognized the buildings as Pokemon Centers; there had been one back home in Kiloude.

The sun was starting to descend in the sky before Rachel finally came to South Boulevard. Panting and exhausted, Rachel was relieved to see the sign. She saw another set of smaller signs and hurried forward to read them.

"We're almost there, Luna!" Rachel said encouragingly. Luna sprawled on the sidewalk, eyes closed, beyond panting. She wasn't used to walking farther than from her bed to her food bowl. At Rachel's words, she opened her eyes and rolled them. Rachel scowled.

"Come on, it's not much farther now. Just ahead!" She strolled forward purposefully and Luna heaved a sigh and followed reluctantly. When she spotted a building with two large statues shaped like Pokeballs in the spacious garden in front of it in the distance, she sped up, ignoring the blisters forming on her heels. Determined as she was to reach the building she was almost certain was the Lab, she collided with a figure skulking in the opening of a nearby alley. She nearly fell and was only able to stop herself in time.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried to the person. "I didn't see you there. You're not hurt, are you?"

The person slowly turned around, and Rachel swallowed. He was a young man who had couldn't be more than a few years older than her. He looked alarming; a torn leather jacket, spiked black boots, and short turquoise hair. Rachel wrinkled her nose; he smelled strongly of sweat, motor oil, and beer. He didn't seem too disturbed from her collision; on the contrary, he was looking her up and down appraisingly. He saw Luna and sneered.

"You a Trainer?"

"What? No, no," Rachel said quickly. "I'm just headed to the Lab-"

The young man ignored her. He was bouncing a black-and-yellow Pokeball in one hand and with the other flipped open a slim red object. He fixed it upon Luna.

"It looks to me like you are. That's a pretty high level Pokemon you got there. Level thirty. Pets usually aren't past level ten."

Rachel was bewildered. Levels? What did that mean? "I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. I didn't mean to run into you, so I'll just be going now-"

"Kalos law. When a trainer challenges another to a battle, they have to fight. Otherwise you have to pay a fine."

Rachel was beyond confused. She had absolutely no idea of the laws governing Trainers, or how they operated. It made no sense to her. And was this young man really challenging her to a fight? Here, in the middle of the city? And if she refused, would she really have to pay?

"Look, I'm not a Trainer-"

But she stopped mid-sentence. Luna had quietly bounded forward, placing herself between Rachel and the young man. She showed no signs of aggression- she simply stared at the young man intensely. The stranger laughed.

"Tell that to your Furfrou. It looks like it wants to battle."

"Her name's Luna," Rachel said. She had no idea why she said it, only that the man had irritated her by calling Luna "it". She didn't love Luna with the ferocity that she loved Axel, had always viewed her as snotty and stubborn and vain. But she had known Luna for over half her life. And there was something else, too; the way Luna had comforted her when she was grieving and the way Luna was standing now- almost protectively.

"Whatever," the young man said with a sneer. He gestured to the alleyway. "Alright, let's do this. In here."

Rachel nearly bolted. She had no idea what to do, or if she would have to do anything at all. It occurred to her that the young man might have been lying about the fine. But what if he wasn't? She couldn't afford to lose any money, not if she was to continue this journey and find Axel. Dread filling her up, she followed the man into the narrow alley.

He turned to face her, his face covered in shadow. He bounced the Pokeball in his hand. "One versus one, medium stakes. That okay?"

"Uh…what?"

"I guess so," the man said. He either hadn't heard Rachel or had pretended not to. "Alright, your Pokemon first." Before Rachel could really register what he had said, Luna leaped forward and positioned herself in front of Rachel. Quick as a flash, the stranger tossed the ball forward. There was a flash of light, a screech, and suddenly there was a creature standing in front of Luna.

She had seen one only once before; small, light purple, and with large disconcerting eyes, the Espurr didn't look very threatening. However, Rachel felt uneasy. She was unsure what she was supposed to do next, but the man spoke first.

"Espurr, use Psyshock."

The creature's large eyes glowed with a sinister light, and Rachel yelled with shock and fear. Out of nowhere, a bright pink light formed around Luna. It solidified into a field of strange stones surrounding her. They hung suspended in midair, then without warning struck her.

"Luna!" Rachel cried, forgetting all of her irritation and resentment in a single flash of panic. There was no way Luna could be okay, not after that. However, when the light faded Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. Luna was still standing, and she looked fine. She shook her fluffy fur and narrowed her eyes at the Espurr. Rachel's hands shook and her stomach churned; she had never seen anything like the Espurr's attack before. It simply wasn't natural.

The young man stared at her expectantly, and Luna turned to look at Rachel too. She realized that they were waiting for something. She didn't know what it was. Unless…she was supposed to command Luna to attack next? But what should she say? She had never viewed Luna as anything other than a pet. She didn't know what sort of attacks Luna could do. The man tapped his foot impatiently and Luna whined. Rachel knew that she had to say something, but she could think of nothing else except "Luna, bite it!"

She expected Luna to give her a blank look, or the man to laugh, but Luna darted forward, fast as lightning, and sunk her teeth into the Espurr. There was a flash of dark light and the Espurr cried out. Luna returned to her position. The Espurr was slowly getting back to its feet, but its tiny knees were shaking and it glared at Luna. The man scowled.

"Should have known that it would know a Dark-type move," he grumbled. Rachel had no idea what he meant. All she knew was that Luna had done more damage to the Espurr than it had done to her. Rachel still felt a little sick to her stomach at the violence of battling, but a new emotion awoke in her. She felt a thread of excitement, primal and raw.

"That's it, Luna, good job!" she encouraged. Luna glanced at her, and Rachel thought she saw a flicker of pride in her dark brown eyes.

The young man didn't look very happy at the way the battle was going. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Espurr, use Scratch!"

The tiny creature darted forward, its claws flashing in the sun. Rachel winced as the Espurr raked Luna across the chest. Luna flinched slightly, and Rachel feared there would be blood. However, Luna seemed mostly unhurt. Her muscles clenched, then relaxed. The Espurr returned to its place. Rachel's heart pounded. It was their turn again. Since she didn't know what else Luna could do, Rachel said, "Luna, bite it again!"

It happened the same as before; Luna dashed forward and bit the Espurr. There was the flash of dark light again. However, when Luna ran back Rachel saw that the Espurr was no longer standing. It was lying on the ground, breathing shallowly but not moving. The young man sighed and stepped forward. He pressed a button on the Pokeball and in a flash of light the Espurr disappeared.

"Your Pokemon," Rachel said, striving to keep her voice steady. "Is it okay?"

"It's just fainted. It'll be fine." the young man said. He was looking at Rachel oddly. "But don't you know that?"

Rachel shook her head, angry. "No. I told you, I'm not a Trainer!"

The stranger seemed taken aback, almost embarrassed. "Oh. I thought, you know, because of your Pokemon's level-"

"Well, I tried to tell you."  
>The young man grinned apologetically. "Yeah, my bad. Got a little carried away. I'm trying to level this little guy up a bit, you know? He's going to evolve soon. So I saw you and thought you'd be an easy win. Guess I was wrong."<p>

Rachel didn't understand what he meant about evolving, but the truth of his words began to dawn on her. They had won. It had all happened so fast, but even though she had never battled before, although she had been so clueless- they had pulled through. She could hardly believe it.

She approached Luna and crouched down so that she was on her level. Rachel carefully examined her. She seemed a little sore, but mostly all right. Rachel stroked the pink heart-shaped patch of fur on Luna's head and saw her in a way she hadn't seen her before. Luna's eyes were shining with pride and triumph.

"You did amazing, Luna," she said softly. Luna panted, her tongue hanging out in a lazy grin. Rachel patted her again and stood up. The young man was watching her curiously.

"So that was your first battle? Ever?"

"Yeah."

"You did pretty good," the young man admitted. "But if you want, I can give you some tips. I've been doing it for a while."

Rachel smiled politely. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm headed to the Pokemon Lab."

"Oh," the young man looked almost disappointed. "Well, thanks for the battle anyway." Rachel turned to leave, Luna at her heels, when the man called her back. "I almost forgot," he said. He pulled a wallet out of his back pocket and began counting out bills. He handed them to Rachel, who looked confused. "Your winnings," he explained.

Rachel smiled as she took the money. "Thank you," she said.

The man nodded. "Don't mention it. Take care of yourself." He turned and began to walk further down the alleyway, his hands in his pockets. Rachel watched him leave. Her heart still pounded in her chest with the excitement of the battle. After insuring that Luna was following her still she left the alley and made her way towards the Lab.


	4. Chapter 4-Code Black

**Chapter Four- Code Black**

Rachel carefully read the sign in front of the building. She smiled; she had been right, this was the place. She opened the door and looked around. She was in a large clean waiting room. There were several doors leading of off it as well as an elevator. A woman sat in the middle of the room behind a desk. She smiled as Rachel approached.

"Welcome to the Kalos Pokemon Lab. May I help you?"

"I was hoping to meet Professor Sycamore and speak with him about something. Is he here?"

The woman glanced behind her. "As a matter of fact, he was just getting ready to leave. If you hurry you can catch him. His office is on the third floor; once you leave the elevator, turn right. It's the first door on the left."

"Thank you." Rachel hurried to the elevator and pressed the button. She hoped that he hadn't left already. She had come so far, she would hate to have to wait another day to have her questions answered. For the first time she wondered uneasily where she was going to spend the night. She had assumed that she could rent a hotel room, but if cab fare in this city was four thousand dollars how much would a hotel stay be? She tried not to think too much about it for the time being.

The elevator doors slid open with a _ding! _Rachel entered and pressed the small golden 3 button. The elevator smoothly began to rise. It was both Rachel's and Luna's first time in an elevator. Rachel rather enjoyed the experience, but Luna's eyes widened fearfully and she began to whine with surprise. Rachel smiled.

After arriving at the third floor, Rachel quickly straightened her T-shirt and smoothed her hair in place before making her way to the professor's office. Luna followed on slightly trembling legs, casting suspicious glances at the elevator behind her.

The office door was ajar and Rachel knocked on it nervously. "Come in," a man's voice called. Rachel opened the door, relieved. Professor Sycamore had his back to her, looking though a stack of files in the cabinet in front of him. He turned to face Rachel and smiled. She couldn't help smiling back; he was incredibly handsome with his dark hair and studious blue eyes.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

"Well…." She said. She was unsure where to begin. "My name's Rachel Thomas. I'm from Kiloude, and I was told you know a lot about Pokemon and Kalos in general."

The professor chuckled. "I would like to think so, anyway. So is there something that you want to know?"

Before Rachel could stop herself, tears were welling in her eyes and she told him everything. About how Axel had been the joy of her life, how she had played with and talked to him every day, how friendly and happy he was, and how she had come home from her job at the clothing store to find him missing from the backyard. How there had been no sign of forced entry. "At first, my mother thought maybe he had dug under the fence and escaped," Rachel said, wiping her eyes. Sycamore watched her sympathetically. He offered her a box of tissues from his desk and she took one. "But there were no holes or anything. He was just…gone. Also, he wouldn't leave. He loves me, I know it. So I think someone stole him."

"It's possible," the Professor agreed solemnly. "It happens all too often, and usually the police are unable-or unwilling- to do much about it."

Rachel looked up at the man in front of her. "I didn't know where else to go. I have to do something, even if it's dangerous. So…do you know of anyone who would take him? I've heard rumors for years of an illegal trade in stolen Pokemon. But I don't know if it's true, or where or how or why-"  
>The Professor held up a hand to silence her. He motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Please, sit down." She did as he asked and watched as he walked to the office door and closed it. "I don't want to be overheard," he explained quietly when she raised her eyebrows questioningly. He sat down at the chair behind his desk and faced Rachel.<p>

"I think it's safe to rule out Team Flare. It still exists, technically, but only in small, underfunded bands. There's also the possibility of this being an isolated case; someone who saw your Aron and decided that they wanted him. Or maybe took him in order to hurt you. Can you think of anyone who would do that?"

"No," Rachel said quickly. She was reasonably well liked back home and didn't have any enemies. "I don't think so."

Sycamore sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I didn't think so. I was afraid of this. I was hoping they weren't involved, anyway."

"Who?" Rachel asked eagerly. Sycamore looked at her with tired eyes.

"I think you guessed right. It's a good possibility that your Aron was taken by Code Black."

"Code Black?" Rachel asked with numb lips. "Who are they?"

"A group of people that make Team Flare look like playground bullies. Code Black is widespread through nearly every country, not just Kalos. No one knows much about them, few know they even exist. Oh, everyone knows about the underground trade, but not the scale nor the purpose. No one knows for sure what they do with them, but it's been said that they sell the Pokemon they kidnap to Trainers, who then use the stolen Pokemon in battle instead of catching or raising their own. People who catch or breed any creature who might be of use to them sell the Pokemon to Code Black, but police have been unable to pinpoint their identity or location of the numerous trading points. I have reason to suspect some of the police are in on it; many seem to turn a deaf ear to any reports of theft."

"Code Black does more than steal, however. Many other, nastier illegal things pass through their hands before being sold to people; drugs, for instance. They're said to have numerous spies and information sources; it would certainly explain why they've never been caught. Bribery, assault, and even murder has occurred when people begin investigating too heavily into them. They're a dangerous group, one that certainly isn't good news for your Aron, I'm afraid."

Rachel's nails cut deep into her palms. Her fists had been clenched the entire time the professor was speaking. Her eyes threatened to fill up again. "I don't care if they're dangerous or not. I have to find him."

Professor Sycamore spoke gently. "I know, but I don't advise it. You could end up hurt, or worse. We're talking about a group of people with an enormous amount of power and no morals whatsoever. What might they do to you if you found out you're onto them?"

Rachel wiped her eyes. "So you're saying I should just walk away and let them do whatever they want?"

"Dear, what do you expect? Even if you could find them, what do you think they'll do? Just hand him over and apologize?"  
>"No, but at least I'll be able to live with myself if I actually go after them!" Rachel declared fiercely. Sycamore smiled humorlessly.<p>

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I might have an idea, though. With an operation this widespread, you ought to be able to find someone who'd be willing to give you more information. Trainers are their own community; they whisper amongst themselves. My advice? Become an official Trainer. Travel, battle, and _listen. _Earn gym badges and compete in the league if you must. Nothing this large can remain completely secret. The very best thing to do would be to find out which trainers are buying illegal Pokemon. That way you could have a chance of finding your Aron without having to deal with Code Black themselves."

Rachel felt a flutter of panic that was quickly overtaken by a rush of determination. "I don't know anything about battling. Well, almost nothing. I just had my first battle a few minutes ago and-"  
>"Really?" Sycamore interrupted with raised eyebrows. He looked at Luna, who was currently gazing at him with the same look of detached resentment she usually reserved for strangers and, until very recently, Rachel. "How did it go?"<p>

"Well, we won, but I wasn't really sure what I was doing. Luna did, though. My mom told me she used to fight back when she belonged to a Trainer."

"Interesting," he said quietly. "Few win their first battle, especially when the other Trainer is more experienced." He paused. "If you want, you can stay here for a few days. I have an empty room here in the lab with a cot. It's not much, but I think it'll do. It'll save you money, at the very least; Lumiose is a very expensive city to stay in. Unless you have someplace already?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, I don't. I would love to stay here, but why?"

"While you're here, I'll train you. I'll teach you the basics of Pokemon battling. It's the least I can do for you. It'll give you a fighting chance, anyway. When you leave this place, you should be able to hold your own often enough to travel to many different places."

Rachel bowed her head. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

Sycamore's serious demeanor flickered as his eyes twinkled. "You can thank me by training hard. I'm always happy to see new Trainers grow and improve, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm not going to take a personal interest in your case. I hope you can find your Aron."

Rachel smiled in spite of herself. "Me too."

The cot was hard, but the Professor brought her two soft fluffy blankets from the linen closet on the second floor. "Sometimes, when I get into a particularly long and difficult project, it's easier to sleep here for a night than to go all the way home," he explained. "Nor am I the only one. Every scientist here has their own cot. There's also a bathroom down the hall, complete with a shower. There isn't any food here, but there are restaurants and cafés just down the street. Is there anything else you need?"

Rachel glanced around the room. It seemed to be part office and part storage room. The walls were bare and there was a stale smell in the air, but it was warm and secluded. "No, this is perfect. Thank you again."

"Don't mention it," Sycamore said airily. Rachel decided to ask him a question, but he answered it by saying next, "Do you think you would be ready to start training tomorrow?"  
>"Yes."<p>

"Okay. I'll come get you in the morning." He hesitated, almost seeming unsure of himself. He came to a decision and pulled a slim red object out of his pocket. Rachel recognized it immediately as the same device the young man in the alley had. "In the meantime, I'd like you to look over this before you go to bed tonight. This is a Pokedex, and I'd like you to take it with you when you go. It's a record of all Pokemon currently known to man, and you can also use it to scan individual creatures, such as your Furfrou there, and learn more about them and the attacks they can use. Normally, Pokedexes that I give to children are empty; I like them to fill it themselves as they explore. But this one is complete. I have a feeling time is of the essence and the more you know about Pokemon the better."

Rachel took the object with an expression of awe and gratitude. "Thank you. I.." she cut herself off mid-sentence; she could feel the tears threatening to fall. She hated to cry worse than anything, and she had cried more in two days than she normally allowed herself to in six months. She struggled to find a way to tell the Professor how much this meant to her; she was a complete stranger, after all, and Sycamore was voluntarily giving up precious time and resources to help her. So she simply asked, "How can I ever repay you?"

"Train hard," he repeated. He waved at her as he turned away. "Look that over, but get some rest. I'll be here bright and early to get you. Good night."

"Good night," Rachel said. As soon as Sycamore closed the door behind him, she sat down on the edge of the cot and flipped open the device he had given her. There was a screen and several buttons. She pressed one that looked like the power button and the screen flashed on. Six menus popped up; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos; some of the different countries. Rachel knew there were more, but she couldn't think of them off the top of her head, there were so many.

Curious, she turned the Pokedex towards Luna, who was currently curled on the floor on her own blanket and devouring a bowl of her food that Rachel had given her. She seemed none the worse for wear after her battle. Rachel waited a moment, unsure if she was doing it right, and suddenly the menu was replaced by a picture of Luna and a small paragraph. She scanned through the information, fascinated. It was almost as if she was seeing Luna, and Pokemon in general, in an entirely new light.

"Luna," she read aloud. Luna whipped her head up, then resumed eating when she decided Rachel wasn't calling her. "Species- Furfrou. Level 31. Nature- Impish. Characteristic- somewhat vain." Rachel chuckled, then continued reading. "Attacks- Dig, Bite, Toxic, and Refresh." She had no idea what the rest of them meant, but she assumed Bite was the one she had commanded Luna to use.

She continued looking through the Pokedex for the next couple of hours, ignoring the outside world in her fascination and stopping only long enough to eat some of the food her mother had packed; she had no intention of wandering the city again that day. She knew there were many different species in the world, but she was astonished to discover there were over seven hundred. The most particular thing that stood out was the sheer variety of the creatures; some seemed just as normal-looking as Luna; others, strange and outlandish. She pored over the different entries, reading and learning more about them. Long after Luna began snoring loudly on the floor beside her, Rachel finally placed the Pokedex in her bag and lay down. However, when she drifted off to sleep she wasn't thinking of the information she had just read, but about Axel-and how in the world she was supposed to find him if he had indeed been taken by what seemed to be one of the most elusive and dangerous groups of people in the world.


	5. Chapter 5-Emerging Trainer

**Chapter 5- Emerging Trainer **

Despite her troubling thoughts before drifting off, Rachel awoke feeling refreshed. She stretched luxuriously and reached for her pack, wanting to get a shower. She glanced at Luna and saw she was still slumbering deeply; her paws twitched and her eyes rolled beneath their lids. Smiling, Rachel left the room.

After her shower, Rachel dried her hair and stepped into a fresh dress. It was her favorite; white and pale pink, it went nicely with her light brown hair. She swiped a coat of mascara on her eyelashes and examined her reflection in the mirror. She frowned slightly; something seemed different about her. After a couple of moments she thought she placed it. It was her eyes; they looked more knowing and serious. She smiled grimly, liking the effect they had on her overall appearance. She looked determined and filled with purpose. Rachel had always been a drifting sort of person, never focused on a particular goal and living her life day to day. This was an invigorating change…although Rachel thought sorrowfully that she'd forgo it any day if she could just have Axel back. Suppressing her sadness, she returned to her room.

She opened the door and her eyes widened; Sycamore was already sitting on her cot. Luna was awake and sitting beside her half-full food bowl and watching the professor warily through narrowed, suspicious eyes. The professor looked up and smiled.

"Good morning. I trust you're well rested?" Rachel nodded. Sycamore stood up and began rummaging through a desk in the corner. "So," he continued, "Did you look over the Pokedex?"

"Yeah," she said with a small smile. "It was fascinating."

"So can you tell me what Pokemon number six hundred and seventy-six is?" The professor asked casually.

"Um…"

The professor shook his head. "I didn't expect you to memorize the different Pokemon. But I would like you to familiarize yourself with them as much as possible."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said humbly.

"No matter," Sycamore said briskly. He turned away from the desk and Rachel saw he had a notebook and pen in his hand. He handed them to Rachel.

"Take these and follow me," he said. "Luna too."

Rachel called Luna, who stood up and followed with better grace than she normally did. Rachel pondered Luna's slowly changing attitude, then walked behind Sycamore as he opened the door.

They walked without speaking through the hall and back to the elevator. Luna regarded the silver sliding doors fearfully and refused to move until Rachel, sighing with frustration, picked her up and hauled her inside, panting with effort- Luna weighed sixty pounds. Once they were inside Luna glared at Rachel, looking utterly betrayed. However, when the doors opened and Luna had her paws back on stable, solid ground she seemed to forget her ordeal and walked beside the girl amiably enough.

When Sycamore had given Rachel the notebook and pen, she had assumed they were going to be studying from books or maybe teacher-student style while she took notes. She was slightly disappointed; she hadn't forgotten the thrumming excitement from the battle the day before and had been eager to do it again. Therefore, she was pleasantly surprised when Sycamore pulled open a set of large double doors and disclosed, not a library or classroom, but a large gymnasium-style arena.

"Often we have small inter-city competitions here," he announced. "But we mostly use it as a training area. Many people come and go throughout the day. But today I've booked it, and we have it to ourselves."

He turned to face Rachel. His handsome young face was transformed; he looked serious and professional. "If you don't mind, I would like to know exactly how much you know about Pokemon battling and the creatures themselves in general."

"Not much," Rachel admitted, slightly ashamed. Seeing all these people with Pokemon, and knowing how many Trainers there were in the world, and this entire lab dedicated purely to Pokemon, made her aware of how ignorant she really was of the creatures who shared her world. "I mean, I had Luna and Axel, and of course there were the ones who other people had and that lived in the forest around us, but…I don't know much, no. And I only battled the one time, of course."

"It's okay. The basics are pretty easy to grasp." He gestured towards a table and two chairs sitting by the door. "Sit down, and write down what I tell you. Then we'll have a practical demonstration."

Rachel obeyed and opened her notebook. Luna wandered away and began sniffing the glossy wooden floor, obviously interested in something. Sycamore cleared his throat.

"The purpose of a Pokemon battle, as you learned, is to inflict enough damage upon your rival's Pokemon to make it faint. Fainting is a Pokemon's number one defense system against permanent damage; when it is hurt badly enough, it enters a coma-like state in order to protect itself against further harm and possibly death. Trainers can restore them to normal using special medicines or electronically via machines. In the wild, the creatures will eventually come to on their own- unless, of course, they are eaten or otherwise killed." Rachel shuddered.

"The morality of Pokemon battling has long been questioned; many people feel it is wrong to 'force' creatures to fight. However, those of us who study them for a living have discovered that when not under the influence of a Trainer, wild Pokemon will actively seek out and fight others apparently for no other purpose than to grow. You see, a Pokemon's magical attacks will only get stronger if it battles other creatures. Battling is, in and of itself, an issue of survival- for a wild Pokemon, at least. No one knows exactly why this is, but we're able to judge exactly how strong a Pokemon is by learning how much experience it has with battling. Each stage of strength is called a level; beginning at level 1, its weakest stage, and ending at level one hundred, when it has reached its strongest possible maximum growth. Write that down; that's very important.

"Do you know about evolution?"

Rachel hesitated. "I know that Pokemon can suddenly change their form; I don't know why though. So when a Pokemon has grown by battling, it evolves?"  
>"Most of the time. Some Pokemon don't evolve at all, others evolve with certain conditions, and there's another phenomenon that I will cover with you later; one that I believe affects your Aron in particular."<p>

Rachel was curious, but she said nothing and continued to jot down the professor's words. The scratching of her pen paused as she glanced at Luna. "Does Furfrou have an evolved form?" She asked, intrigued. She was unable to imagine Luna as anything other than herself.

"No, but they are a useful and powerful species when utilized correctly. We'll get to that soon. So, do you understand the basics of Pokemon growth?"

"I think so, yes."

"Good. You seem to have grasped it quicker than most; a lot of people have difficulty understanding just how differently Pokemon function from us. I tend to think of it this way- Pokemon grow physically the same way we grow mentally. That is, from experience and change."

Rachel smiled. "That's a pretty good way to put it, I guess."

"All right. The next thing we're going to cover are types of Pokemon. Each one fits into a specific category depending on body structure and genetic makeup, the way it behaves, and of course, what sort of attacks it can learn. Each attack also has its own category. Pokemon are especially weak against moves of the type to which that Pokemon is susceptible to." Seeing that Rachel looked confused again, he rushed to explain. "For example, your Furfrou is what we call a Normal type. It is weak against Fighting-type moves only. However, Normal-type moves have no effect on Ghost-type Pokemon whatsoever. Easy enough to understand?"

"Yes," Rachel said confidently.

"Each Pokemon can only remember and use four attacks at any time. No one knows exactly why they can't use more. It's very mysterious. Pokemon will remember any move you command it to. It learns different attacks as it grows, and you can teach it more by using machines. I'll explain more about that later. Now, when you battled, what Pokemon did you fight?"

"An Espurr."

"Okay, what attack, or attacks, did you command Luna to use?"

"Well, Bite, I suppose. I just told her to bite it. I didn't know what attacks had specific names. I suppose she understood me well enough, though."

The professor nodded, looking pleased. "A happy accident. Bite is a Dark-type move. Espurr is Psychic. Dark-type attacks do a lot of damage to Psychic Pokemon."

Rachel's head was spinning. It was all too much to remember. "Just how many types of Pokemon are there?"

"As of right now, eighteen. And each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. It's very important to learn the different type matchups if you're going to become a successful Trainer. Also, some Pokemon have two types. This may make the battle easier or more difficult, depending on the individuals involved."

"All right."

Sycamore motioned for her to stand up. "If you'll follow me then, please. We're going to practice a bit. Don't worry, I'll tell you what to do until you can get the hang of it yourself."

Rachel followed him to the large square outlined on the floor. Luna promptly stopped sniffing and trotted alertly to Rachel's side, almost as if she knew what was coming next. Remembering how her mother had told her about Luna battling gym leaders before, Rachel thought that she probably did. She knew that gyms were indoors and must have an arena like this one.

Rachel stood on one side of the square as Sycamore instructed and he stood on the other side. "Normally, this is where I would tell you to throw out your Pokeball, as that's what most Trainers do. However, it's not too unusual to have them walk into the arena themselves if they aren't in a ball."

Feeling slightly more confident that she did in the beginning of yesterday's match, Rachel opened her mouth to call Luna. But before she could, Luna bounded in front of her and faced Sycamore. He chuckled, then reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a Pokeball. He threw it in the air, and in a flash of light a creature leaped into the arena.

Rachel gasped; she couldn't help it, it was beautiful. She remembered seeing a likeness of it in the Pokedex the night before, but she couldn't remember what it was called. It was about a foot taller than Luna, with brown and tan fur and bright blue eyes. Its long flowing mane seemed to be ablaze; Rachel's eyes watered looking at it. Her stomach clenched with fear. How on earth was Luna supposed to defeat this creature? Following Sycamore's encouraging nod, Rachel pulled the Pokedex out of her pocket and held it in front of the Pokemon. "Pyroar," she read to herself. Her heart sank even further when she saw the little number by its name; this Pokemon was four levels higher than Luna, and therefore stronger.

"Now, don't get discouraged!" Sycamore called. "You have several distinct advantages. Remember what I told you about Luna's type?"  
>"Yes, she's a Normal type, right?"<p>

"Correct! Pyroar is Normal and Fire, and knows no Fighting-type moves. You have the upper hand when it comes to move effectiveness. Quickly now, do you remember Luna's attacks?"

Rachel struggled to remember what she had read. "Dig, Toxic, Bite, and….Refresh? I think?"

"Very good! Now, let's focus on Dig. Dig is a Ground-type move. Which is strong against?"

Rachel gritted her teeth. How was she supposed to know? Sycamore had never told her! She was frustrated that he was throwing questions at her, and she felt slightly stupid. She decided to tell him she had no idea when a sudden image flashed in her head- camping with her family years and years ago, and how her father taught her how to throw dirt on the glowing coals of the campfire to smother them.

"Fire!" she said triumphantly.

"Very good!" Sycamore cried. "So now do you know what to do?"

"Of course," she grinned.

"All right. Now, since Pyroar is a higher level than Luna, it gets to move first."

Rachel nodded, and then suddenly without thinking called out, "Get ready, Luna! Brace yourself, I know you can do it!"

Luna glanced at Rachel, her large brown eyes wide with surprise. Determination seemed to replace astonishment, and Rachel felt a rush of affection for the Pokemon as Luna lowered her head and faced her opponent.

"Okay. Pyroar, use Tackle!"

Rachel wanted to look away, didn't want to see Luna get attacked and possibly hurt by a creature so much larger and stronger than herself. But she made herself look; it was the least she could do. The Pyroar gave a soft growl and rushed at Luna. It ran so fast that it was little more than a glowing blur. Before Rachel could even blink, the Pyroar collided with Luna and knocked her to the ground.

"Luna! Luna, are you all right?"

"Listen to me, Rachel," Sycamore said softly. Rachel's speeding heart began to slow as the Pyroar ran back to its former position and Luna slowly got to her feet. She glanced at Rachel, who sighed with relief; Luna seemed unharmed. "If you're going to become a successful Trainer, you have to learn to go against everything you know about the human body. Pokemon are different. They feel pain, yes, but for them getting hurt in battle is as natural as breathing. It's in their nature to fight each other, and as I told you before they have their own defense system against permanent harm. I'm not saying don't worry about Luna-what kind of person would you be if you didn't?- but, just remember that she'll be fine, and she won't thank you if you keep her from battling in order to avoid her getting hurt. You saw how eager she was to battle."

Yes, Rachel thought. That was true. She also remembered how Luna started warming up towards her during the battle they shared the day before. Was that all Luna wanted? Kind words, adventure, and someone to share the sort of trust that only comrades-in-arms shared?

Rachel's fear melted slowly away. She felt calm. The Pyroar was more powerful than Luna, but she knew Sycamore would not have chosen this particular Pokemon if he didn't think she could win. "Luna, use Dig!"

A split second before Luna dived at the ground, Rachel thought, How is she supposed to dig anywhere? The floor is wood. Then right before Luna hit the floor there was a flash of light and she disappeared. Rachel gasped. "Where did she go?"

"Underground," Sycamore said, with an air of stating the obvious.

"How?"

"She's a Pokemon."

Rachel decided not to say anything else. She had a feeling that if she was going to be a Trainer and see Pokemon in action more often she would probably see stranger things.

"Now, as you know, battles are turn-based. Dig is a two-turn move; for the first part, Luna is safely underground and cannot be hit. Certain attacks are like Dig, and take two turns to complete. Now, watch what happens when Pyroar takes its turn. Pyroar, use Ember!"

Pyroar glanced at Sycamore and shook its fiery head, bewildered. It did nothing.

"Now it's Luna's turn again," Sycamore announced. No sooner had the words left his lips than Luna appeared in front of the Pyroar in a swirling cloud of dust and rocks. Rachel suppressed a cheer as Luna tackled the Pyroar, who let out a piercing shriek. The rocks fell to the wooden floor with a loud clatter that echoed around the arena. Luna ran back to her place. Rachel saw the Pyroar was breathing heavily and trembling. Its blazing mane flared as it snarled angrily at Luna.

"It's nearly over. Pyroar, use Ember!" Sycamore said loudly.

The Pyroar opened its mouth and a small jet of fire erupted from between its fangs. Rachel shouted, but to no avail; the flames were swirling around Luna, who yelped in pain and surprise. Rachel groaned. The stream of fire seemed to go on for ages as Rachel watched helplessly. Finally the fire ceased and the Pyroar closed its jaws, looking smug. Rachel forgot that she was supposed to stand out of the way and rushed to Luna's side. She could hardly believe it; if Pyroar had used that attack on her instead, Rachel would be dead or very seriously injured indeed. And Luna was hurt, Rachel could see it- patches of her skin were red and inflamed and her eyes were watering, but she didn't look as if she'd just been set on fire. Rachel couldn't understand it. The professor had said Pokemon were different-well, obviously they were. Maybe they didn't get injured the same way humans did?

Rachel clenched her hands into fists, suddenly angry at the way Pyroar had hurt her. Let's finish this, she thought. "Come on, Luna. It's almost done. I know you can do it. Use Bite and finish it off!" she cried.

Giving a snarl of agreement, Luna dashed forward and opened her jaws. She sank her sharp front teeth into the Pyroar's large, muscular shoulder. There was the same dark flash of light as before. The Pyroar gave out a rumbling roar, and the ground shook slightly as it collapsed.

Sycamore pressed a button on the Pokeball and the Pyroar was returned to it. He looked at Rachel, his face shining with pride. "Well done. Very well done. You're well on your way already. Now, follow me; we can give Luna some medicine to heal her injuries." Sycamore strode towards the double doors, but first Rachel knelt down and gazed into Luna's singed face. Her eyes were hard, fierce, and proud. "You did so good," Rachel said softly. "Good job." Luna began wagging her tail rapidly and suddenly placed her two front paws on Rachel's shoulder- something she had done with Mary all the time but never with Rachel. Smiling, Rachel hugged Luna back. Luna's coat smelled of smoke and the flower-scented shampoo that she'd been bathed with last week. Rachel wrinkled her nose; it wasn't a good combination. Maybe I'll see if there's someplace I can get her groomed at, Rachel decided.

They followed the professor out of the arena and into a small room on the first floor. Medical equipment and neat rows of medicine lined the shelves. Sycamore crossed over to a large machine in the corner. He placed the Pokeball containing the Pyroar onto one of the indentions on the machine and pressed a button. A quiet hum filled the room.

"These machines restore a Pokemon to full health, healing any injuries or sicknesses within minutes," he explained. "Every town has a Pokemon Center with one of these machines, and they provide their services free of charge. It's much cheaper than having to buy medicine; however, it's best to always have some on you at all times in case you can't get to a center in time." As he spoke, he removed a small spray bottle from one of the shelves. He shook it up and showed Rachel how to apply the medicine to Luna's injuries. Rachel could see the healing effects almost immediately. Luna's burns healed and her skin returned to its normal color. Luna shuddered with relief.

Sycamore turned to face Rachel. "So you've now won two battles in a row. How do you feel?"

"I feel…" Rachel stopped, unable to fully describe how the helpless worry and fear about Axel seemed balanced by this strange new sense of power and purpose she felt, her new feelings of pride and awe of Luna, and how even though many things about Pokemon baffled and confused her she had never felt more in her element when she was battling with Luna. "I feel great," she finished lamely.

Sycamore smiled, and Rachel had a feeling that he knew what she had been thinking. "It's a wonderful feeling, bonding with your Pokemon and feeling as if you're fighting right beside them. Hold onto that feeling. It'll carry you through the toughest of times, and I sense that you'll face many of those. You haven't picked an easy path, choosing to involve yourself in Code Black. But I saw your spirit shine through today. I know you can do it. I promise to assist in any way I can."

Rachel nodded, overcome with emotion. Sycamore glanced at his watch. "It's nearly noon. Take a couple of hours off, relax, explore the city, whatever you want. But make sure you give yourself plenty of time to study before tonight. You have a test."

"A test?" Rachel asked warily. "A test on what?"

"Type matchups, of course," Sycamore announced. Rachel groaned as he opened a filing cabinet in the corner of the room and whipped out a small pamphlet. He handed it to Rachel. "A complete list of all the known Pokemon types and how they relate to each other in terms of damage. Familiarize yourself with all of them, but tonight I will only test you on the five most common types- Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, and Normal."

"All right," Rachel agreed with a sheepish grin.

Sycamore opened the door and turned back to Rachel. "Also, don't forget to look over the Pokedex every night."

"I won't forget."

"Good. I have some work to do, but I'll see you tonight. If you go out in the city, avoid the alleys, okay? Some of the Trainers there are much stronger than the one you faced."

Rachel nodded, and Sycamore left. Rachel stayed where she was for a moment, breathing in the cold smell of disinfectant and savoring her recent victory. Ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest as she thought once again of Axel, she called to Luna and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6-Bribery and Departure

**Chapter 6- Bribery and Departure **

For the next four days, Rachel continued to study and train underneath the watchful eye of Professor Sycamore. Although she went to bed each night with her head swirling with stats and facts, she studied with a ferocity that left her with a headache nearly every day. For the first half of the day, Sycamore always led her into the arena to battle with Luna. He changed up her opponents, using sometimes more than one Pokemon. Rachel smiled with satisfaction as she remembered how Luna had defeated them all.

During these battles, Rachel began to learn the finer details about Pokemon battling, like the different status conditions that the creatures could inflict upon themselves. On the third day, Sycamore's Vivillon had poisoned Luna with powder from its brilliantly pink wings. Rachel had been frantic, but Sycamore had explained to her how Trainers could choose to use medicine and heal their Pokemon instead of taking their turn.

The best battle had been on the morning of the fourth day. Sycamore had used a Machoke- a Fighting-type Pokemon. "Now think, Rachel," he had called. "You're at a complete disadvantage, but can you think of a strategy to overcome it?"

She had. After her three previous wins Rachel's confidence had grown tremendously with her knowledge. She had commanded Luna to use Toxic to poison the Machoke, and then she had her use Dig twice. Although Luna had gotten hurt and needed to be healed immediately after the battle, Rachel felt she had never tasted a sweeter victory.

Luna was growing stronger, too. Rachel used the Pokedex to check Luna's information shortly after the battle with the Machoke and was pleased to discover she was now level 33. Luna's trust in Rachel was growing, and on the third night Rachel had been surprised when she felt Luna jump up on the foot of Rachel's cot, curl up, and promptly go to sleep. As far as Rachel knew, Luna had not even slept in Mary's bed.

In the evenings, Sycamore always drilled Rachel on various things. Usually it was the different types and their strengths and weaknesses, but he sometimes quizzed her on other information, such as her general knowledge of Pokemon behavior and the laws governing Trainers. He told her that after a Trainer battle, the loser always gave the winner prize money. The amount was usually determined by how much money the Trainer had, although they could choose their own amount to give.

Now, Sycamore walked beside Rachel as they strolled through South Boulevard. Luna trotted beside them, her head held high in order to proudly display her new coat. A blue star adorned her forehead and tail, and the fur around her feet was blue as well. Rachel had never seen Luna without her traditional pink heart cut and hadn't been able to resist trying out something new when she took Luna to the groomer's as a reward for her recent prowess in battle. Rachel normally explored the cafés and shops in the evenings with only Luna for company, but today Sycamore had insisted in accompanying her.

"You've nearly mastered the basics. You caught on much quicker than I thought. It won't be long now until you're ready to leave."

"I wish I could stay longer," Rachel confessed. She watched a pair of Fletchlings twitter and flutter around a neat little rosebush growing in a pot beside the office building they were currently walking past. "I'm sure I could live in this city for the rest of my life and still not see everything in it. But the sooner I can leave, the better."

"Then it's important to have a plan. I wanted to come with you today because I was hoping you'd meet with an acquaintance of mine. He might have some information that could help you on your journey. He declined to tell me more over the phone, but I told him your story and perhaps he'll be willing to disclose it when we see him."

"Where is he?"

"Not far now. He agreed to meet us at the café just up ahead. Now, before we get there, what type of Pokemon is Talonflame?"

"Fire and Flying," Rachel said certainly.

"What attack would be best against it?"

"Well, normally Ground-type moves are strong against Fire Pokemon. But since Talonflame is Flying as well, then the best attacks would be Water or Electric type."

"Very good! What about Psychic, what are the best attacks against a Psychic Pokemon?"

"Bug, Ghost, and Dark, right?"

Sycamore nodded, pleased. "I think you have type matchups pretty much down pat. That's good."

They walked along in silence for ten minutes, then Sycamore nudged Rachel. "There's the café," he said. "Follow me, please."

They entered the café, which was small, cozy, and well-lit. A soft comforting chatter filled the room as many people talked quietly amongst themselves in their booths. A plump, friendly looking waitress approached them and asked if she could get them anything.

"Two coffees, please." The waitress smiled and walked over to the bar as Sycamore scanned the crowd. He inclined his head to a booth near the back. "Ah, there he is." Rachel followed the professor as he made his way over to the young man who stared broodingly into his coffee mug.

"Tom. Thank you for agreeing to see us," Sycamore said pleasantly. The man glanced up at Sycamore and motioned for them to sit down. Rachel noticed that although his facial features were average and bland, he had very odd looking hair. It looked as though it had once been dyed bright red, but the color was fading and his brown roots were showing profusely. He was wearing a black fedora, which Rachel suspected he was using to hide his hair, but it was failing miserably. Tufts of multicolored hair still showed beneath its rim.

"Rachel, isn't it?" Tom asked. His voice was low, smooth, and oily. Rachel suppressed a shudder as she slid into the booth next to Sycamore. Luna obligingly plopped herself onto the floor beside Rachel's sneaker-clad feet.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you," Rachel lied. This man gave off an air of seediness and she felt uneasy about him.

"And I you," Tom said. He smiled, but the smile didn't seem to reach his cool, blank eyes. He turn his attention to Sycamore. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. You called me because you thought I might have information about the illegal Pokemon trade. It just so happens, I do. And I'll be willing to tell you what I know…for a price."

Sycamore began to reply to the man, but stopped when the waitress approached with their coffee. "Thank you," said politely. As soon as she was safely out of earshot he said to Tom, "I should have expected it. How much do you want?"  
>"I don't want money," Tom said, his eyes flashing. "I want you to get the cops off my tail. Make them drop the charges. It's been a year, and Team Flare is pretty much done. I'm not serving time for this, not if I can help it. You, you're a fancy talker. If you can convince them that I never meant any harm, that I've turned over a new leaf, whatever- I'll give you what you want."<p>

Rachel sipped her coffee and felt bitter disappointment rise up within her. She had gotten to know Sycamore pretty well in the past few days and she knew he would never stoop so low as to help a petty criminal and lie to the authorities. But when she glanced at the Professor she was astonished to see that he was actually smiling.

"Oh, I don't know, Tom," he said casually. "Let's just say that I do it your way. What's to stop me, when I plead your case to the police, to mention your nighttime occupation to them? I'm speaking, of course, about your little business you run out of the warehouse located on Magenta Plaza. What if I were to accidently let it slip? They don't know about that, do they?"

Tom eyes blazed with anger. "How do you know about that?"

"You're not exactly very discreet, Tom. I have my sources."

Tom glared at the professor. "Never miss a trick, do you?"

"I try not to," Sycamore said, pleased. "Now, let's get down to business. My offer-you tell me what we need to know, and I don't go to the police at all. The charges against you right now are minor, but I doubt they'll be so forgiving if they learn what you do at night."

"Alright, you made your point," Tom grumbled. He glanced around. "You have your sources, I have mine. In Cyllage City there's an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Rumor has it that sometimes people are seen coming in and out of it, usually known Trainers. These Trainers are sometimes seen afterwards using Pokemon they didn't have before; rare ones from other countries, usually."

Sycamore leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Stolen Pokemon, do you think?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You're a former Pokemon thief," Sycamore pointed out.

"Yeah, and not a very good one," Tom admitted with a grimace. "My guess is that they are. Seems kinda suspicious, don't it?"  
>"Yes, it does," Sycamore agreed quietly. He studied Tom for moment. "Are you sure you know nothing about Code Black's operations?"<p>

"I told you already, no," Tom said sharply. "They're good about keeping themselves hidden. I haven't even heard rumors, and you know the kind of people I parley with."

"I didn't think so," Sycamore said with a sigh. He motioned for Rachel to get up so that he could do the same. Placing the money for their coffee on the table he said, "Well, thank you for your time, Tom." He extended his hand, and Tom shook it. Rachel noticed uncomfortably that Tom's eyes were focused on her intently.

"If you go to Cyllage," he said suddenly to Rachel, "you keep your head down. Find out what you need to find out and move on. If that house _is _a trading point for Code Black, you can bet they'll be keeping an eye on anyone poking around. They ain't a bunch to mess with."

Rachel swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "I know."

Tom smiled grimly and sipped his coffee. "Good. Just remember that. You have a nice day, now."

Rachel gave a smile that felt more like a grimace as she followed Professor Sycamore out of the café and into the busy Lumiose streets. Luna strutted beside them.

"That man," Rachel said the second they began walking down the sidewalk, "does he belong to Team Flare?"

Sycamore frowned. "He used to. As soon as he saw that Team Flare was about to be brought down he fled and watched it crumble. He's spineless and dumb, but he's a wellspring of valuable information if you can stand to talk to him."

"What sort of business does he run on Magenta Plaza? The one police don't know about?"

"Various unsavory things," Sycamore replied seriously. "Nothing that I'd care to discuss, anyway."

"He was trying to bribe you," Rachel said.

Here Sycamore grinned. "Yes. And I suppose you can say for all intents and purposes, I bribed him back. A small price to pay for getting this lead. How do you feel about what he said? About the house in Cyllage?"

Rachel focused on her feet as she walked. "I think it's them," she said finally. "I mean, it couldn't hurt to start there at least, could it?"

"No," Sycamore agreed. "I don't think it could hurt."

As they strolled back to the Pokemon Lab, Sycamore continued to quiz Rachel on type matchups. She was pleased when she got nearly all of them right.

Three days after the meeting with Tom, Rachel sat on her cot in Sycamore's lab. She stowed away her Holocaster in her bag, smiling as she remembered the conversation with her mother she had just had over the device. Mary was worried when Rachel told her about her plans to investigate the goings-on in Cyllage, but she was supportive. She had been delighted to hear about Rachel's new status as a Trainer and her budding relationship with Luna, who now refused to sleep anywhere but beside Rachel. Despite Rachel's constant assurances that she would be careful when she reached the town, Mary had still seemed troubled.

After making sure that all of her belongings were safely packed away in her bag, Rachel slowly stood and glanced around the room. Sorrow faintly fluttered in her chest; she was going to miss this place. It was cozy and secure, whereas she could only see danger ahead. But she felt she was going to miss Sycamore most of all. With his guidance and compassion, he almost reminded her of the father she barely remembered.

Heaving a sigh of reluctance, she left her makeshift bedroom and started down the hall to Sycamore's office. She hoped that he was there; she wanted to say goodbye and she didn't have time to wait for him to return. She was relieved to see him sitting at his desk, poring through a stack of complicated-looking papers. He smiled when he saw her walk in.

"I assume you're ready to leave now?"

"I am," she said, secretly liking how strong and confident her voice sounded.

"I agree," Sycamore said. A hint of pride showed on his young, handsome face. "You've grown more in this short amount of time than I ever thought possible. With the knowledge that I have given you, and with Luna's help, I have no doubt that you can find your Aron. Before you leave, I have a few crucial pieces of advice that I hope you heed."

"First, exercise extreme caution. Don't be afraid to run if you have to; there's no shame in fleeing from certain defeat. Secondly, if you find your journey goes beyond Cyllage-and maybe you should even if it doesn't, just in case- get more Pokemon. I know you trust Luna and I know she's capable, but you need as much support as you can get. Thirdly, always remember that you can return here if you feel you need more time."

"Thank you," Rachel said, swallowing back her sadness. "For everything, I mean. I think I might have a chance now. If you hadn't been so kind, I don't know what I would have done."

"I only did what was right," Sycamore said softly. "Remember that if you ever see someone in need that you can help. Always pass it on. Now, I took the liberty of gathering up a few items that might be of use to you." He opened a drawer in his shiny mahogany desk. Reaching inside it, he passed a large felt pouch over to Rachel. She examined it and found it contained numerous bottles of medicine, a large yellow spray can, and several more Pokeballs.

"Pokemon Repellant," Rachel read the label of the spray can.

"It'll come in handy if you end up having to make camp outside," Sycamore said gravely. "Trust me; I've made plenty of expeditions in my day. Nothing ruins a good night's sleep quite like waking up to a Likitung in your tent."

Rachel giggled. "Thank you," she said, stowing the pouch in her now bulging bag. Sycamore stood up and crossed over to Rachel.

"I have nothing more to say now, except be careful," he said as he hugged her. She hugged him back. "I'm proud of how far you've come, and I know that you can bounce back from anything you might encounter on your way."

"I hope so," Rachel said quietly as she broke the hug and adjusted the strap of her bag. After glancing at her watch, she waved at the Professor as she stepped out of his office.


End file.
